Reuters
Thu Aug 19, 2010 12:23pm EDT
* 54 percent vaccinated against meningitis
* 27 percent of girls fully protected against HPV
More U.S. teens are getting recommended vaccines against certain cancers, meningitis and infectious diseases, government researchers reported on Thursday.
More than 40 percent of girls have received at least one dose of the new vaccine that protects against a virus that causes cervical and other cancers, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than half have received a booster shot that protects against tetanus, whooping cough and diphtheria, the survey of 20,000 teens aged 13 to 17 said.
“We can see that more parents of adolescents are electing to protect their children from serious diseases such as pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, and cervical cancer but there is clear room for improvement in our system’s ability to reach this age group,” the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat said.
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